The ''Reichsannalen'' are a class of

annals Annals (, from , "year") are a concise history, historical record in which events are arranged chronology, chronologically, year by year, although the term is also used loosely for any historical record. Scope The nature of the distinction betw ...

composed anonymously in the

Carolingian Empire The Carolingian Empire (800–887) was a Franks, Frankish-dominated empire in Western and Central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as List of Frankish kings, kings of the Franks since ...

throughout the 9th century. They first appeared under

Pepin the Short the Short (; ; ; – 24 September 768), was King of the Franks from 751 until his death in 768. He was the first Carolingian dynasty, Carolingian to become king. Pepin was the son of the Frankish prince Charles Martel and his wife Rotrude of H ...

in 741 and became ubiquitous at monasteries throughout the empire in the following decades. They were not official court annals, but they often bear the bias of having been written in one '' regnum'' or another. The Reichsannalen are distinguished from earlier and later classes of annals by their coverage of supranational and not just local events; they covered the entire empire. Though usually composed at monasteries, they are contrasted with monastic annals which emphasise ecclesiastical and especially local happenings over those of the larger ''

Reich ( ; ) is a German word whose meaning is analogous to the English word " realm". The terms and are respectively used in German in reference to empires and kingdoms. In English usage, the term " Reich" often refers to Nazi Germany, also ca ...

''. Some historians, such as Ranke (''Zur Kritik fränkisch-deutscher Reichsannalisten''. Berlin, 1854) have seen a sheen of officiality in the various annals for the kings whose reigns they cover. The authors of the Reichsannalen show a greater awareness of external affairs, military manœuvres, and court politics than the cloistered penmen of the monastic annals. The earliest of the annals is the '' Royal Frankish Annals'', dating from 741. For information before that date, the '' Chronicon Universale'' ( MGH: Scriptores, XIII, 1–19) was drawn up about 761. The ''Chronicon'' contains information derived from

Bede Bede (; ; 672/326 May 735), also known as Saint Bede, Bede of Jarrow, the Venerable Bede, and Bede the Venerable (), was an English monk, author and scholar. He was one of the most known writers during the Early Middle Ages, and his most f ...

, Fredegar,

Isidore of Seville Isidore of Seville (; 4 April 636) was a Spania, Hispano-Roman scholar, theologian and Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seville, archbishop of Seville. He is widely regarded, in the words of the 19th-century historian Charles Forbes René de Montal ...

, the ''

Liber Pontificalis The ''Liber Pontificalis'' (Latin for 'pontifical book' or ''Book of the Popes'') is a book of biography, biographies of popes from Saint Peter until the 15th century. The original publication of the ''Liber Pontificalis'' stopped with Pope Adr ...

'', the '' Annales Mosellani'', and the ''

Annales Laureshamenses The ''Annales laureshamenses'', also called ''Annals of Lorsch'' (AL), are a set of '' Reichsannalen'' (annals of the Frankish empire) that cover the years from 703 to 803, with a brief prologue. The annals begin where the "Chronica minora" of ...

''. During the reign of

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

, Reichsannalen proliferate: the '' Annales Laurissenses minores'' (c.806), the '' Annales Maximiani'' (810–811) and the '' Annals of Flavigny'' (816) crop up. The ''

Annales Fuldenses The ''Annales Fuldenses'' or ''Annals of Fulda'' are East Francia, East Frankish chronicles that cover independently the period from the last years of Louis the Pious (died 840) to shortly after the end of effective Carolingian rule in East Fran ...

'', the most famous of them all, appear in the reign of

Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (; ; ; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor, co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aquitaine from 781. As the only ...

. They have a regional, East Frankish character, but purport to record national events. The author must certainly have been in touch with the court. They cover the period from in 711 until 901 with information drawn from the ''Annales Laurissenses minores'', the '' Royal Frankish Annals'', and the official '' Annales Lithienses''. The counterpart of the ''Fuldenses'' is the '' Annales Bertiniani'' in West Francia, of a more universal character and probably more objective. They form the source for the '' Chronicon de gestis Normannorum in Francia''. In Lotharingia, the '' Annales Vedastini'' appear and form the basis for the '' Chronicon Vedastinum'', a universal chronicle continuing until 899. In the 10th century, the Reichsannalen died out: Flodoard of Reims is the only real example, writing from 919 to 966.

Sources

{{Catholic, wstitle=Ecclesiastical Annals

See also

Sources